Case
Anton is 42 and has multiple sclerosis. He lives with his partner and two children. Anton and his partner have been thinking of moving into a bigger house to have more space for their family.
Anton has recently started using a walking frame because of his disability. This means it is difficult for him to access the front entrance of his house because of the steps. His current house will need modifications to the front entrance steps if he continues living there.
Anton asks the NDIS to fund the costs of moving into a new house with a more accessible entrance.
Would we typically fund this?
No, the NDIS would not typically fund the costs of moving house in this situation.
Anton’s family’s preference for a bigger house is not related to his disability.
The cost of moving house would also not likely be value for money compared to the cost of modifications to Anton’s current home that he needs because of his disability.
Why wouldn’t we fund this?
Usually we won’t fund the costs of moving house because everyone has to pay these costs, whether or not they have a disability.
To work out whether supports to move house are reasonable and necessary for you, we consider the information you’ve given us against the NDIS funding criteria.
If you want us to fund the cost of moving house, you’ll need to give us evidence, like a report from a home modification assessor, that shows:
- your need to move house is related to your disability
- moving house is more likely to be value for money than completing home modifications to your current home
- your new house will be appropriate for you with minimal modifications or none at all.
What related supports might we fund?
We may be able to fund modifications to your current home if you need these because of your disability. We would think about if the modifications to your current home will benefit you in the long term, for example if your disability support needs are expected change over time.
If your current home can’t be modified or if it would be very high cost, we may consider funding supports to help you move to a more accessible home. The most important thing is that you check with us before you commit to moving house. We need to assess your situation before we can approve funding in your plan.
We also think about value for money. We need to consider all the costs involved in moving to a new house compared with other supports, like assistive technology or making modifications to your current home.
We’ll talk to you about which of the following moving costs might be relevant to your situation:
- removalists
- stamp duty
- conveyancing
- inspections
- mortgage fees
- real estate costs to sell the current home.
Case example
Barry is 60 and has a brain injury following a stroke. He lives with his partner in their own home, which has two storeys and is on a steep block.
Barry gets an assessment from an occupational therapist who is a qualified home modification assessor. The assessor recommends complex modifications to the front access, bathroom and bedroom of Barry’s current home. He would also need a lift installed.
Barry gives us the assessment from the home modification assessor and two quotes for the complex modifications to his current home.
Barry’s planner looks at the information he has given us to work out if the modifications meet the NDIS funding criteria.
Some of the things the planner thinks about include:
- if the modifications are related to Barry’s disability
- if the modifications are value for money compared with other supports that could achieve the same outcome.
Due to the current home design and steep site of Barry’s house, the information Barry gives us shows the modifications would be extensive and very high cost.
The planner decides the modifications to Barry’s home do not meet the NDIS funding criteria because they are not value for money. It would cost less for us to provide funding for Barry to move to another more accessible home.
Barry and his partner decide to sell their current home and buy a single storey home that can be more easily modified to suit Barry’s needs.
In this situation the cost of Barry and his partner moving into this new home meets the NDIS funding criteria. The cost of the minor modifications to Barry’s new home, plus the moving costs, are much less than the cost to modify Barry’s old home.
We pay for these moving costs and for the minor modifications to Barry’s new home he needs because of his disability.
For more information, refer to: